Born To Die
by Ingrid Fallen
Summary: Valkyrie is dying. She has less than a month left to make peace with her enemies, tell her parents her secrets and live her life. My first fanfiction so please be kind ;)
1. Chapter 1

If you think about it, everyone is dying. Some people are just more talented at it.

My name is Valkyrie Cain and I guess you could say I'm one of the more talented. To be specific, I'm dying. In less than a month, my corpse will be lying in the cold ground with no one but worms for company while my friends and family cry over my passing.

I wonder whether any newspapers would run a story on my short and tragic life. Not normal papers, obviously. Magic ones. The story'd be on the front page, mainly due to my being Skulduggery's partner, but helped by the fact I'm all buddy buddy with Elder Bespoke, or Ghastly as we know him. The page wouldn't have much on it, besides my picture. Valkyrie was born, Valkyrie solved mysteries, Valkyrie got sick, Valkyrie died. Nothing more, nothing less.

Maybe I'm being depressing. Maybe some people would miss me. But I can't budge the feeling that they're all just waiting for me to go. Less than a month. Not long. Nye doesn't have an exact time limit yet, but its only a matter of time before he finds out.

Every day, I get a little weaker. Every day, I die a little more.

I know what's going to happen. I made Nye tell me every detail, and it loved every minute he was telling the sad news. Everyday, my organs are failing more and more. When I die, it will be because my lungs and heart and brain have failed. I will probably be in a coma for the last couple of days I am alive. I don't even get to experience dying properly: I'll be comatose. Lovely.

I stopped daydreaming in my bed long enough to see that Nye was taking blood. He's working to find a cure. Not for me, for me it's terminal. For others who get what he calls the Magic Sickness. You could call it by the virus name, which is NGH56, but Magic Sickness fits it better.

It's caused by magic combined with a simple virus. In some families, there is a deadly gene defect which is inherited. It's very rare; in most families there's only been about three people on the family tree who had it. In my family, it's known that a couple of family members right up the top of the tree died of it. What happens is that this gene doesn't usually cause any harm, unless the receiver has magic, in which case it only causes harm if that person catches a certain virus, and then uses magic while they have this virus. Then the virus turns into the Magic Sickness and multiples, and kills the unlucky person.

And I am the unlucky person.


	2. Chapter 2

2 Years Ago.

Tanith POV

Valkyrie had been practically comatose all day. To say I was worried was an understatement.

It's going to be all right. I reassured myself. She's probably just got a virus or something. Just take her to Kenspeckle so he can check her over... I didn't believe a word I was thinking. I watched her slump further down the chair. I'd forced her downstairs to get

some food, but she just fell asleep at the table. It didn't feel like we were sisters anymore. I cared for her like a daughter. And she was sick. Now I didn't care if it disturbed Kenspeckle. I just cared that she got better. *At Kenspeckles 4 hours later.* Kenspeckle had been doing tests for the past four hours. Val was still sleeping. Kenspeckle walked in, just as I noticed a trail of red marks going up Valkyrie's arm.

"It's bad news. I said it was a bad idea for her to get involved in magic. I did, and now look where it's gotten her." "What?" My mouth went dry. "What is wrong with her?" Kenspeckle sighed. "It's magic sickness, a disease caused by a single gene defect. It's like magical cancer. We have a few treatments, but they're not guaranteed to work, and with magic sickness you can't use the same treatment twice because it won't work the second time." He saw my troubled face. "It's all right, really. Even if she doesn't respond to the first treatment, we've got a couple so she'll be cured. You'll be fighting with her just as soon as she's finished the treatments."

"Call Skulduggery." I said. Kenspeckle looked surprised.

"Is that really nece..."

"Call him! Tell him Valkyrie has a life threatening illness and she could possibly die!" Kenspeckle did not argue.

The first treatment was painful, and heartbreaking to watch. Valkyrie was on strictly no magic until she was completely cured, and for a few weeks after that, so that she didn't make the sickness worse, or trigger it again. The first treatment involved a chemical, pumped into her bloodstream, to try and kill all the infected cells. The chemical made her puke her guts out, made her so thin you could count her ribs. On the third week, she got an infection she was too weak to fight. Kenspeckle put her in isolation: in a glass tank so she couldn't pick up the airborne germs from outside. She gazed at me and Skulduggery from the inside of the tank, pressing her hands up against the glass, with the bewildered look of a child. But the treatment worked, at least for a while. On the last week of Valkyrie's month-long no magic quarantine, I noticed that same rash on her hip. Kenspeckle confirmed my fears. The sickness was making a

comeback. By now, Valkyrie had celebrated her 15th birthday. All the more tragic, then, when the drug she was put on to try and get rid of the sickness made her lose her hair. It almost shocked her, lying in her bed, hooked up to a million and one machines, with her black hair falling right out of her scalp. She would put a small hand up to her head, feeling the bald spots, and then she would squeeze her eyes together, as if she had used up all her tears, and was trying to find them. But the treatment worked, for nearly a year

. Then, early this year, I noticed she was quiet. Almost... Sleepy. Tired all the time. It was the sickness again. This time, Kenspeckle was dead and we had the rather less trustworthy Nye to offer treatment and help us through it. But this time, we were on the last treatment. Everything else, we'd tried and tested and Valkyrie had relapsed. Nye's method was poison. It was evil. But it had a chance of working. Nye put Valkyrie into a coma. Then he fed her a virus, so she would produce more white cells to fight it. After that, he removed the virus just as quickly, and left Valkyrie in huge amounts of pain to try and get her body to fight it off. If he had given her any painkillers, any magic, anything, it might not have worked. But it turned out all of it was in vain. After just a month of being "cured" Valkyrie relapsed for the final time. Now she's dying. Now any treatment we give her is to try and make her life longer. Now I have to try and hold on, for her. Pretend the next treatment might make her live for an extra decade, when the most it will give her is another month. Pretend all the surgery she's going to go through will cure her, when it is all to give her an extra couple of months. I'm fighting a losing battle. Some unholy war. _***_ HEYYY IT'S YOUR HYPER AUTHOR WHO HAS JUST GOT HIGH ON PEPSI! Ok. Probably not the best ending to that chapter. Anyways. Hi. I'm your author, Harmoni333. Thank you for reading this story, as well as this really insensitive, hyper authors note. Here is some more random stuff. Check out Carolina Blues and her story 24 Hours. It's Skulduggery Pleasant and it's really, really [insert 1,000,000 reallys] good. Check out my BFF Leggo lover 99 and her story The New Adventure (and yes, LL99, you did forget capitals. And torture is spelt T-o-r-t-u-r-e btw) I have started a challenge for myself to think of songs for each chapter starting here. The songs for this chapter are: Some Unholy War - Amy Winehouse

Picking Up The Pieces - Paloma Faith

Emergency - Paramore.

THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY, MINIONS! CHEERY BYE! TAKE CARE! GARNIER!


	3. Chapter 3

Valkyries POV

I started dying two years ago

I will finish dying in four weeks today.

Is it depressing that I keep track of the whole thing?

My life seems too short. I haven't done much. It seems like yesterday I was just a bit tired, and Tanith was taking me to Kenspeckle's so he could check me over, and then there were tests, and then I was told I had magic sickness, and then there was the first treatment.

That first treatment made me lose nearly five stone, made me puke, made me wish I was dead. Just to fool my body into thinking it was healthy for a month. I remember getting sick in the middle of it, being stuck in a tank, unable to talk to anyone, only able to look at my friends, who are practically family now.

A month. That's all it gave me. A measly month.

Then it came back. My hair all fell out in the second treatment. I've still got spots where it hasn't grown back. A year later, I've only got about an inch of black hair on my head. Weird,

The third treatment, my last chance, I have wiped off my memory. But I still know that it was evil. All I know is the pain, which haunts my nightmares every night. And it didn't work. And I am dying. Nye's got a new nurse, you know. She's called Memory Stronghold. She treats me like you treat your old gran you don't like: nice so that when they die they'll leave you something. _\\\\\\\\_\\\\\\\_{\\\\\\\_\\\\\\\_\\\\\\\_ I AM HYPER AGAIN! So. Hi. It's your author here. Thank you for reading this completely random authors note. And sorry if the chapter was too depressing. Anyway. The songs for this chapter are:

Fix You - Coldplay

Footprints In The Sand - Leona Lewis

Hello - Evanescence

Don't forget to check the songs out too!


	4. Chapter 4

*present day*

Valkyrie POV

I need to tell my parents.

That's what I've been saying to myself for two years. And I've still not done it. Their daughter will die, and they don't even know yet. But I can't stop the temptation to just not tell them, to leave them with the reflection.

It's so hard. Who knew telling your loved ones you're dying was so hard.

I need to do it today. If I don't do it today, I might never do it. That can't happen. I picked up the phone, and dialled the oh-so-familiar number.

"Skulduggery?"

"Valkyrie. What a surprise. Feeling all right today?"

We haven't been as close as we were. From the moment he found out I was dying, he's been gradually distancing himself from me. Maybe it's to avoid getting hurt. Or maybe he just doesn't care.

"Yeah, apart from the dying part."

"Well done. You have proved that you own a brain. You just don't use it as much as you should."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Anyway, can you do something for me?"

"Only for you."

"Can you drive me to my parents? I want to tell them."

"What?

" "Not everything. I'll just tell them I'm dying, let them think its cancer or something."

"I'll be there in five.

" ***

It's been an hour since Mum welcomed me and my "friend" back home. I'd told her I was at summer camp to avoid using the reflection. I still haven't mentioned it.

"Mum?"

"Yes, honey? What is it?" "Mum... Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, sweetie. What about?"

She sits down beside me. "Sweetie?"

I gulp, and choke down a sob "Mum... I'm dying."

To say she takes it badly is an understatement. She sobs, cries, asks me the details. I have to tell a few lies. As far as she's aware, I'm going to live in a specialist home for the remainder of my life so that they can take care of me. They don't allow visitors, but she can come to my private funeral. Skulduggery, with his facade on, is my doctor, explaining the details on the cancer I supposedly have, details he downloaded off Wikipedia. He's supportive, and friendly towards my family. We leave just after the lunch I didn't eat. Perhaps I shouldn't have told her. Or maybe it was for the best. _-/-_%%%%%^%% 6666668999& So sorry if its a bit boring, and thanks to mockingjay98 for the idea. Songs for this chapter

Born To Die - Lana Del Rey

Hallelujah - Alexandra Burke


	5. Chapter 5

Skulduggery POV (ooh, this is new) Valkyrie slumped in the front seat of the Bentley. I grinned at the road. "Wanna talk about it?" "Sure. You're dead, I guess you know a thing or two about dying?" "I guess I do. And if you wind up losing your head in the afterlife, call me. And I don't know much about ghosts, but I sure don't mind if a pretty one like you chooses to haunt me." "Yeah, that'd be just like me. Haunt the undead. Blah blah justice. That sort of thing. I could haunt Ghastly, but it'd be like watching a bad romance movie for basically my entire afterlife. And I make puking noises in Harry Potter." "Just don't haunt Nye. You'd spend your afterlife actually puking. I think he's got a potion or something just to make ghosts puke." "Why would anyone want to spend their afterlife puking?" "In the name of science, so Nye can study it." "That makes no sense." "Exactly." Valkyrie slumped even further. I turned my head. "What's up?" "Uhhh" OK. Maybe she's just sick. Just sick. Last time she was Just Sick she ended up in isolation. Just sick. Hah. "Valkyrie? Val..." Her lips were turning blue. I didn't have the time to drive her back. She could be dead by the time the Bentley parked in the cinema parking lot. One call to make. It wouldn't make Valkyrie happy, but it would save her life. I dialled the number. "Fletcher?" Fletcher and Valkyrie had gone through a hard and difficult breakup following what we called the Caelan Incident. She hadn't talked to Fletcher since he ended it. What's more, she wouldn't talk to him. If Fletcher was in a building, Valkyrie would leave through the fire exit and not return until he left. This call would probably make her so mad... But it would save her life. And that's what counts. _)(););););)328)9823)239824£8924)()()()()()(827)82)249()()()();) HEYY MINIONS! Sorry for not updating in a while. I have been on holiday! Yay for me, boo for you. Anyways. Songs for this chapter: I think My Immortal by Evanescence just about sums up the whole depressing mood, but you can listen to Fix You again if it doesn't do it.


	6. Chapter 6

Skulduggery POV

We'd been waiting for an hour, and I was sick of this. I stormed into Valkyrie's room, where Nye was still hooking her up to machines. It looked up, then carried on sticking one of them into her blue body. She had an oxygen mask on, and was unconscious.

"Nye, I want the facts. What's happening?" "

Which news do you want first?" "

The bad news."

"Her kidneys are failing, she had two heart attacks after you brought her in, the only way she can get food is though a tube, her liver's failing, she has a collapsed lung. Oh yes, and she's probably not going to survive the night. And if she survives the night, she has a 99% chance of dying while I operate on her."

"And the good news?" "

Did I say there was any good news?"

It finished hooking up the last machine, then scurried away. I slumped into a chair. Valkyrie looked so fragile. Just this morning, she'd seemed fine. The beeping of the heart monitor suddenly sped up. "NYE!" It ran into the room. "Oh yes, she's dying. These are her final moments. Bring everyone in then." It cackled. I ran outside. "Tanith, Ghastly, Fletcher. You need to come in. She's dying, she's got minutes left..." Tanith rushed into the room

Tanith POV.

I gazed down at the girl I'd met years ago. She wasn't the same. She was so small in the bed, so fragile, so young. Too young to die. The heart monitor started to beep even faster. BeepBeepBeepBeep... Beep...Beep...Beep.. Beep... ... Then nothing. _\_\############################################################## Hey minions! Ooh, cliffhanger! Will she survive? Is she going to die? What's happening! So. Songs for this chapter. I'm really tempted to put a One direction song in here. I promised myself I wouldn't but... One Direction - Moments. There. I did it. Also. Evanescence - My Immortal. Evanescence- Hello. I know I've mentioned two of them before but they're just so good for this chapter! Bye minions.


	7. Chapter 7

Third person POV. Tanith watched as her once healthy friend was pushed into surgery. Nye had done all he could, but a 99% chance of dying for Valkyrie made Tanith too upset to realise what was going on. Memory Stronghold made the bed, while Tanith sobbed loudly.

Memory POV If only the girl wasn't so strong! Valkyrie could have been fine if she hadn't been so damn magic.

Tanith POV Valkyrie had pulled through the heart attack that nearly killed her. But now was the real risk. The surgery for her lung would possibly help her, probably kill her. To me, she was dead. And I couldn't handle it. I blacked out.

A while later, in Valkyrie POV.

I opened my eyes. I was in a white room. Where was I, and what happened? I said the last part out in a croaky voice. A scarred man leaned over me. "Valkyrie? Are you feeling all right?" "Valkyrie?" I said, puzzled. "Who's Valkyrie?" "That's you." Said another man's voice. I looked up, and screamed. "Oh my god, oh my god, what is happening! It's a skeleton. A skeleton. I'm dreaming. That's it, I must be having a nightmare." I shut my eyes tightly, and pinched myself, hard. When I opened my eyes, the skeleton, the scarred man, and a blonde girl who looked a little bit older than me, were still there. "Val... I mean. You." The blonde one sobbed. 'Can you please tell us everything about you? I mean, what you know about... You. Your name." "O...k..?" I said, still reeling from the shock. "Ok, my name's Alana Jade Waters." "Alana?" The blonde one gasped. "Yes. Alana Jade Waters. Alana Jade Waters!" I heard someone whisper "Amnesia" to the scarred man. Then I blacked out. /)/)/(/)/£(/)/)/(/)/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/&/££/£/£/£/£££/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/£/££/ HEYY MINIONS! So. Alana Jade Waters! What do you guys think? Anyway. Songs for this chapter: Whisper by Evanescence. Carmen by Lana Del Rey


	8. Chapter 8

Third Person POV Alana Jade Waters stared at the blank paper, trying to recall her previous life as a girl named Valkyrie. Would her memory ever come back? She didn't know. The worst of it was that she was dying. She might not have the time to find her memory. All she knew was her "Amnesia Memories": A set of memories her mind had made up. My name is Alana Jade Waters, she wrote on the paper. I am 16. My birthday is Christmas Eve I am dying My best friends are Faye Haster, Jessica Baird, Jayden McCoy and Josef Jailsen. My baby sister is called Alesha Katherine Waters My parents are Paul and Stephanie Waters, and my aunt is Helen Boller. I have Amnesia. My mind made up everything I wrote on this paper. I will probably die without ever knowing my true life. Am. Dying. Finished. 1111111111111111111171717171 7171717171717171 Hey Minions! Ok, so I've decided to make this end now, but I'm going to make a sequel very very soon, maybe even tonight, so beat with me. Also, I'm sick so don't blame me if this was rubbish. Songs: Taking Over Me by Evanescence Where Is The Love by the Black Eyed Peas. One more thing: comment if you've ever actually bothered to listen to one of the songs, just because I mentioned it? Please? Bye.


End file.
